


Your Love is my Poison

by ayukii4s



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Accidental Sex, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Aphrodisiacs, Canon Universe, Childhood Friends, Explicit Language, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Happy Ending, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Love Confessions, M/M, Mentioned Black Eagles Students (Fire Emblem), Mutual Pining, One Shot, Romantic Comedy, Temporary Amnesia, Tsundere Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22822885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayukii4s/pseuds/ayukii4s
Summary: (alt. title: Fellas is it gay to accidentally fuck your best bro?)Love is in the air at Garreg Mach - although it seems to bloom differently for different couples.For Felix and Sylvain, they didn't seem to have much of a choice to bloom in one way or another. After all, when you wake up next to your childhood friend completely naked without memories of the night before, feelings of love can spread like a poison in one’s veins.Leave it to the chaotic duo to solve the events that lead up to a shocking morning, while also solving their own feelings for one another at the same time.
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	Your Love is my Poison

Yet another morning sun rose over the lands of Fodlán, marking a new day and illuminating the beautiful, tragic ruins of Garreg Mach that had recently become the base of the Black Eagle Strike Force. The early golden rays of light made its way through the cracks in the window’s curtains of the quaint dorm room - that which was typically meant for one.

Felix's consciousness faded in slowly from his deep slumber as the light shined through his eyelids. His body was sore all over, he almost wanted to continue laying there for a few more hours, the comfort and soft embrace of the bed nearly pulling him to stay.

Dark strands of hair stuck to his cheeks, as he sluggishly rolled onto his side to dodge the light. He stuffed his face into the pillow atop his arm as he took in a deep breath. The rest of his body twisted with his torso to turn onto his side, when his knee seemed to graze something unusually solid under the sheets. Immediately, Felix's eyes shot wide open upon feeling the unexpected entity in his bed.

Momentarily blinded by the sudden flood of sunlight invading his vision, he blinked his sight into clarity. His entire body froze at the unexpected scene before him. Then, it was no wonder there was a foreign object in his bed, as it became quickly evident that this wasn't Felix’s room after all. In fact, it belonged to the person lying so soundly next to him on the bed－none other than that of his childhood friend, Sylvain.

Felix was inclined to use the term ‘friend’ rather loosely in reference to the eccentric skirt-chaser alongside whom he had the misfortune of growing up. Though, they had never been more than just that… much to Felix's chagrin, although he would hardly be so fast to admit that in his own mind, not to mention even doing so out loud.

The sharp breath Felix pulled in upon the astonishing realization was finally released a few seconds later, so heavily that it seemed as if it was the very force that caused him to stumble backwards onto his hands. His thoughts, swirling in a frenzy of shock, confusion, and bitter embarrassment took over as his subsequently bumbling hands misjudged just how far the edge of the bed was. And well, it was as a natural result of two grown men taking up the space of a single sized bed. His only desire at the moment was to back away as much as physically possible.

The rest of his body followed soon after his hand lost hold and slipped off the edge, enough to cause him to roll off and land with his knees solidly on the ground with a thud. He shook his head, face reddening at his own uncharacteristic clumsiness. As this happened, the figure that was sound asleep on the bed until that very moment stirred with a slight waking groan. He, Sylvain, sluggishly propped himself up on one elbow, and rubbed his eyes with his opposite hand. Every slight movement he made sent Felix's heart racing faster and faster as questions as to how he got into the situation continued to crowd his mind in an uproar.

Finally, Sylvain slowly opened his eyes as a pronounced yawn took over. Though, he cut the yawn abruptly short, mouth still agape as his eyes suddenly widened and locked with those of the other man before him.

"...F… Feli—hmmrph!?" Sylvain's shocked croak was promptly muffled, as Felix armed the pillow that had fallen with him and smothered the other's face in an act of impulsiveness.

After a moment of struggle for escape, Sylvain managed to push away from his imminent suffocation. After gasping for air and Felix's forward point of discreteness having gotten across, Sylvain continued in a more hushed tone. 

"Okay, okay. So, this obviously wouldn't be a question if you were a maiden… but what are you doing in my room—" He blinked his eyes a few times in attempt to blink away what he desperately hoped was an illusion, but to no avail. “—looking like _that_?”

Sylvain’s gaze hesitantly scanned down from the top of Felix’s head, to his twisted, disgusted expression, then halting at his notably bare, pale torso. In that very moment, Sylvain became conscious of his own status, dramatically tearing the sheets off his body to confirm his own unclothed self, save for the undergarments covering his lower half. His eyes shifted nervously between himself and Felix, disbelief and confusion strewn across his face as his tongue tied just trying to form words. Meanwhile, Felix’s face slowly became dyed rouge with irritation.

"Y-you… me? ...We?" Sylvain managed to stammer out.

"What. Did. You. Do." Felix growled, each word sharper than the one before it.

"Wait, wait, wait. I know what this looks like," Sylvain chortles nervously, acknowledging exactly what it looked like. "But I'm just as lost as you are."

"Cut the bullshit…" Felix threateningly raised the pillow from before.

"No seriously, last night I—ow ow ow…" Sitting up completely, Sylvain all of a sudden grabbed his head as a dull pain began to throb in his skull. "’Must've hit my head or something, 'cause I think I'd remember you accepting an invitation to my quarters last night." An attempt at laughing off the situation was stifled by the pain in his head, stopping a laugh from completely escaping his lips. Undoubtedly, it was for the best.

Felix still sat there silently, red-faced and piercing eyes glaring daggers at the other as he roughly clenched the fallen sheets at his sides.

Sylvain continued, “You don’t remember anything either though?”

“No.” Felix bit down on his lip, staring down at his hands.

"Hey, uh, are you okay though?" Coyly scratching the back of his head, the rather courteous Sylvain reached a gentle hand towards Felix’s shoulder, without much regard to the state of their bare upper bodies. As Felix reflexively recoiled from the hand, a vigorous couple of knocks startled them both to freezing in their current poses.

"Uh oh." A nervous sweat lined Sylvain's jaw, hand still half-way reaching towards Felix.

“Sylvain! I know you’re in there!” A female voice shouted from the other side of the door, followed by a few more knocks. The two men gulped in synchronized distress, recognizing the voice of a mutual childhood friend, and regular nagging presence, known as Ingrid.

The two exchanged a few silent, yet explicitly argumentative gestures involving much accusatory pointing from one party, followed by distressed shrugging from the other.

“Okay, I’ll open it! Just…” As Sylvain finally stood from the bed, he grabbed the fallen sheets and pulled them over Felix still sat on the floor next to the bed. “Try to look like a pile of sheets… I guess.”

Felix could only click his tongue and comply as the other began to haphazardly seek out and put on some clothes– When a very curious sight piled onto the confusion already present. He paused and tilted his head at the unfamiliar pile of dressings strewn about the floor amongst his own.

“Sylvaaain!!” A few more angered knocks snapped Sylvain out of his brief daze as he rushed to finalize his dressings and approach the door.

Heaving a heavy breath to try and regain composure, he swung open the door to reveal the very upset Ingrid.

“Yo! What brings you to my humble abode this bright and early?” He greeted, his usual lively fluctuations back in play.

“Can it, _Romeo_ ," Ingrid began with an exasperated sigh. She cleared her throat before continuing, her normally white cheeks slightly flushing."Wh-what did I tell you… I’d rather not _know_ every time you bring a girl home for the night..."

"Aw, how courteous of you to wait until the morning to call me out," Sylvain teased, slipping into his usual character. "But I'm afraid you're mistaken. No girls here, unless you'd like to come in!"

Ingrid pressed her lips into a flat line, simply returning a blank, unimpressed expression.

"Who's that then?" She inquired candidly, just slightly leaning forward on her toes to peer over Sylvain’s shoulder. He shot a nervous gaze backwards to see the incredibly person-shaped blob of sheets on his bed. 

_‘Fuck’s sake, Felix,_ Sylvain’s eyebrow twitched in vexation, though he couldn't hold back the slight grin of amusement with Felix's ridiculousness. Something he felt oddly special to be able to witness, opposing his otherwise consistently serious aura.

A second later, in a matching failure of inconspicuousness, he fumbled to squeeze himself between the door and wall as much as possible to attempt the now futile act of blocking Ingrid’s view.

“Haha! Caught red-handed. Look, I promise I won’t do it again, so _please_ don’t tell sensei on me?” He begged, hands clasped before her as he bowed. “I’ll even cook your favorite meal, anything you want.”

Still, she remained, if not became even more evidently unimpressed. A slight vein of irritation seemed to pop from her forehead as she crossed her arms.

“One last chance,” she enunciated with complete sternness, standing her ground before pivoting on her heels to leave. Sylvain was willing to accept her haste in wanting to have no association with his escapades, as fast as possible.

Sylvain gave a playful bow and wave as she disappeared down the hall. After her figure was completely out of sight, he quickly shut the door and pressed his forehead against it. After letting out a prolonged sigh, he heard Felix behind him already beginning to rummage through the sheets under which he was attempting to stay hidden.

“Wait, what are you doing?” Sylvain abruptly spun around, now pressing his back against the door as if to block the exit.

“Leaving.” Felix continued to slip on various articles of clothing, the same grumpy expression painted across his face.

“Okay, I get you’re confused, and probably hate me more than anything right now-”

“Correct.”

“But can you first explain-”

“No.”

“-that gown?”

“...”

Felix froze midway through slipping his arm into the sleeve of a shirt. It hadn’t quite left his mind since just before opening the door for Ingrid, but on the floor was a rather elegant, yet clearly unfinished gown of sorts. It was haphazardly bestrewn across the floor along with the other sets of garments seemingly tossed about. Although he desperately didn’t want to jump to conclusions, his mind practically pushed him to them instead.

“Is it… yours?” Sylvain hesitated to question. “I’m not judging, I just didn’t realize that was something you were into nowadays.”

“Shut up! Don’t go making up shit,” He grumbled, scratching the back of his head as he tied his messy hair back. “That Bernadetta…”

“What about Bernie?”

Felix turned his back to Sylvain, buttoning up his shirt while heaving yet another heavy sigh.

❣ ❣ ❣ ❣ ❣

“Not a chance.”

“Aw, come on, Felix! Do Bernie here a little favor. It’s the least you could do for scaring the pants off her the other day.” The charming woman, known as Dorothea, clad in a decorative red dress put her hands on the shoulders of the timid girl standing shrinking next to her.

“The candles went out. It’s not my fault she didn’t see me turn the corner!” Felix retorted with fury, causing the smaller girl, Bernadetta, to shriek softly. “Just find someone else.” 

“We already tried, we even asked Ashe - everyone’s either busy or don’t fit the size we need. We’re short on time and you’re the _perfect_ fit!” Dorothea continued to beg, with an exaggerated pout on her lips.

“Great, I’m the opposite of flattered,” Felix spat. He almost even wanted to curse Ashe’s luck, with their similar physique but apparently differing availability, though he held back.

“My friend needs the dress to fit by the time she returns. We won’t tell anyone, right Bernie?” 

Bernadetta tensed up and nodded her head so vigorously Felix thought she might lose balance. “W-w-we won’t tell!!”

“We’ll even take care of your chores for the next _two weeks_ , how 'bout that!” Dorothea sang, closing the space between her and Felix, who recoiled in response. “More training time for you!”

Clicking his tongue in irritation, he begrudgingly muttered, “You better make this quick and painless.”

❣ ❣ ❣ ❣ ❣

“They made you… play dress up… just to fit a gown for someone else… pfft.” Sylvain couldn’t conceal the desire to burst out laughing, as staggered breaths of amusement leaked between his every word. Although he teased, he couldn’t deny that it would have been quite the spectacle he’s disappointed not to have witnessed.

“Tch! Those damned women.” Felix patted the shirt flat against his chest before continuing, “Wouldn’t even let me take it off to get… a drink…?” Like a light flickered on in his mind, his voice trailed off as realization hit him.

"Though that doesn't quite explain how you ended up here...and why exactly neither of us remember either." Sylvain rubbed his chin as he continued to ponder this, when suddenly Felix’s figure rushed past in a flash, the door closing behind him.

“Aah, wait…! Those… are my clothes...”

**Felix → Bernadetta**

Three loud pounds to the door sent a shock through the room, Bernadetta immediately covering her head with her arms as a fearful response.

“Eeeeeep!!” She shrieked, her quick and clumsy movements sending the papers strewn across her desk into a messy array, many cascading sloppily to the floor.

“Bernadetta,” the stern voice came from the other side of the door, which she immediately and regrettably recognized as Felix’s.

“C-coming…!” She stuttered, trying to fix the papers in disarray for a moment, before giving up and stumbling across them to reach the door. As she timidly cracked it open, it was pushed all the way agape by Felix’s impatient hand, and she was met with his obviously irate glare.

Her visceral response sent her into another momentary panic, causing her hand to slam the door in his face with another, “Eeeep!”

A second later, realizing her actions she slowly opened it again, just enough to peak her head out.

“I-I’m sorry… are you angry at Bernie? Oh no… you’re mad about last night,” the nervous girl began to ramble, eventually her words fading into incoherent mumbles.

“Yes, but aside from that,” Felix interjected, curtly. “That drink. What was that drink you gave me?”

“Drink…?”

“You recall not letting me leave, yes? So you gave me a drink you happened to have.” Felix crossed his arms tightly as if to contain his growing impatience.

“Um… let’s see… oh, that!” Her eyes widened in realization, turning her head around to peek back into her room for a moment. This gave room for Felix to peer inside as well, to see not only the empty flask sitting atop some of her drawers, but also the pile of loose papers scattered about her desk area. “I-It wasn’t mine…”

“Then whose was it!?” Felix pressed.

“I-I-It must have been Dorothea’s…” Bernadetta crossed her arms in front of her, as if to block an attack from Felix. But a second later, she realized the state of her room and shrieked for the third time. “Aaaah! Don’t look!!!”

In the next moment she spun herself around and threw herself to her knees over the papers, although all it did was conceal a few and crumble some other under her legs.

All he could tell was it seemed like yet another one of her fantasies written out as a novel. If he already wasn’t interested, knowing his _good friend_ Sylvain was an alleged fan of them made him push it to the back of his mind even more. With a disinterested huff, Felix demanded, “Where’s Dorothea?”

“I don’t know… she usually heads to the cafeteria at this time in the morning…” She continued to try and scoop together her writings.

Without another word, nor closing the door behind him, Felix turned and began heading towards the cafeteria.

**Sylvain → Ashe**

Just a floor above, Sylvain had exhaled yet another sigh as he began to make his way down the hall, when he noticed a rather nervous looking figure pacing near the stairs. Though he had a goal in mind, seeing Felix had long made his way out of sight, Sylvain decided to greet the figure pacing not too far from his room.

“Ashe?” Sylvan called out, as the youthful, silver-haired man turned his palened face towards him.

“Sylvain… it’s just you.” The one known as Ashe seemed to relax his previously tensed stance upon noticing his comrade’s presence.

“The one and only,” Sylvain sang. “You good?”

“Uh, y-yeah. I just... thought I heard something,” Ash gulped, his freckled cheeks seeming slightly reddened in apparent embarrassment. Hearing this, Sylvain thought back to Ingrid’s concerns and felt a brief cold sweat start to take over.

“Heard what?” He managed to maintain his composure.

“It’s probably stupid… but last night I… I think I actually saw a ghost.” Ash went into a concerned whisper, almost talking to himself. "And then… those ghastly moans throughout the night. Sends shivers down my spine!"

“...” Sylvain initially found himself speechless at the statement. After a moment, he scoffed lightheartedly, “Perhaps it was just a fine maiden escaping to her lover late in the night!”

Ashe fell paler than before, followed by a gasp. “Yes, it was wearing a messy gown…! And had an aura that was ready to kill… my blood is running cold just thinking about it...”

“I-I see. Speaking of, have you seen Bernadetta or Felix around?”

Ashe seems to shake himself into composure for a moment, though his mind still lingered on the frightening thoughts. “I saw Felix pass by a second ago but he seemed to be in a rush... Not sure about Bernadetta though."

“Well, let me know if there’s any more ghost sightings, I’d love to get to know her.” With his sing-song goodbye, Sylvain began to make his way down the stairs, intent towards Bernadetta's quarters.

Though, when he reached her room, there was no sign of Felix. In fact, there was but a sign with hastily written－as if written in fear－text that read, “OUT FOREVER”.

**Felix → Dorothea**

Stomping furiously through the monastery, Felix's evident anger－even more so than usual－drew many eyes to him. It was only a matter of time that his target fortunately found him on the way to the cafeteria.

"Ah, there you are!" Calling from behind, the female voice immediately grabbed Felix's heated attention.

He whipped around, before even turning completely already berating, "No, there _you_ are! The hell did you do!?"

"Me? My, my, if I recall correctly it was you who abandoned the promise you made to Bernie and I," stated Dorothea in all her nonchalant, alluring demeanor and attire. Though that meant nothing to Felix, especially in his current rage.

"Promise, my ass! I didn't want to do that crap in the first place," he spat. "Now tell me, what did you make me drink last night?"

"Make you drink?" Dorothea put a hand curiously to her chin. "Ah, I suppose you must mean the bottle from last night."

"Precisely that."

"Oh no, had it upset your stomach? I see… That makes sense why you must have run off then. I'm sorry, Felix. I thought it was just something of a vulnerary.."

"Something?! That's all you have to say…"

Dorothea giggles slyly, not seeming to weigh her concerns too heavily on the situation. "Well you seem to be in your usual temperament, so I'm happy it didn't seem to affect you very much. But you'll have to ask Lin to tell you the specifics, since I received it from him. Something about me perhaps being able to make use of it, but who really knows what that Lin is talking about..."

Felix's disgruntled expression sunk into that of disbelief. "The _opposite_ of not affecting me, in fact. Don't even think for a second you're getting any more favors out of me." He continued with a click in his tongue, “Linhardt...”

As Felix began to turn away, his new sights set on the next apparent culprit in the queue, Dorothea called out again. 

"Oh! Sylvain seemed like he was looking for someone by the way. He always has that _veeery_ specific expression when he's looking for you in particular, so I figured you were on the run again." She cracked yet another cheeky grin to herself. " Should I tell him you're looking for Lin?" 

This caused Felix to freeze in his tracks without a response. Dorothea continued, "Oh my, could it be you two are fighting again?" 

"We're just _dandy_ ," Felix asserted firmly before continuing his leave, back still turned to her. Although he made a hasty exit in frustration, it didn't escape Dorothea's keenness as she noticed the glowing red flush of Felix's ears from behind.

**Sylvain → Byleth and Edelgard**

What was the designated Black Eagles' classroom in the past continued to be a general meeting place for the now Empress of the Adrestrian Empire, Edelgard and her close mentor and professor, Byleth. To Sylvain's expectations, here he found the two in a casual conversation.

"Your highness. My dear professor." Sylvain nodded his head curtly to each of them in greeting.

"Sylvain, what brings you here?" Byleth leans to the side in her seat at the front desk, peering around Edelgard with a warm smile. Edelgard on the other hand, only slightly turned her head, her back still to Sylvain at the entrance.

"Just on the search for little Felix again and thought I’d see if he came to you," he laughed. "You haven't happened to see him running around in clothes too big for him, have you?"

"Not really sure what that last part means, but sorry, I haven't seen him. I've been here since this morning with El, on a search of our own in fact."

Sylvain sighs in defeat before inquiring, "That so?"

As he scans the two's expressions trying to gauge the atmosphere and severity of their own matters, he notices Edelgard's continued silence and awkward frozen stance before Byleth.

"My apologies," Sylvain's lips curved into a smile, pausing his exit. "I didn't mean to… interrupt anything."

Edelgard whipped around somewhat clumsily, eyes locking with Sylvain's. "Not at all. Nothing of importance," she asserts, the slightest of nerves wavering in her speech.

"Now, El. No need to downplay it. It was something about a vulnerary you were hanging onto that you misplaced yesterday?" The professor rubs her chin, and seems completely oblivious to Edelgard's tensed stance. "Perhaps Sylvain had seen it?"

"Sorry, don't think I've seen anything like that laying around. Maybe it's in the same place I'll find Felix, haha." Byleth chuckled along with him. "Needing a tonic to heal a broken heart?"

Though he jested light heartedly, he was satisfied to see the cute reaction of Edelgard's face flushing to a bright red. Naturally, he respected her as the empress, though he couldn't deny the fun in teasing the powerful royalty that she was.

"Oh El, are you feeling alright? You're red…" Byleth stood and leaned towards Edelgard, concern now woven into her expression. 

"I-I am fine, my teacher…"

"I hope so, I can't help but worry after Lysithea had come to me— ah." She abruptly cut herself off, coming to an evidently important realization.

She continued, "Oh… oh no. That's right, I gave Lysithea a vulnerary on my desk because she hadn't been feeling well again!"

Edelgard tensed up even more at this, seemingly unable to form a response for a moment aside from visible surprise at Byleth's timely realization.

"Sylvain," Edelgard suddenly blurted out authoritatively. 

"Yes, my lady Edelgard?" His grin persists, as he internally mocked the oblivious teacher behind the desks and the flustered royalty before her.

"Would you do me a favor and flag down Lysithea?"

"Why me, if I may ask?" Sylvain tilted his head rather endearingly, though genuinely curious at the same time.

"If you are opposed to doing this minor favor I will employ someone else. However, I would... appreciate a bit of p-privacy in my reasoning for these matters." Her stutters became more uncontrolled the more she explained, which only amused Sylvain and piqued his curiosity further.

"How rude of me," Sylvain stifled a snicker, the entire time Byleth smiling softly to her empress. Though, her eyes reflected an utter obliviousness to the otherwise obvious feelings of the other. Though Sylvain was lost on Edelgard's involvement with this sudden infamous vulnerary, he couldn't help but be amused by Edelgard's attempted covert infatuation with her teacher. "I'll be on my way then. Leave it to me your highness, just worry about your sweet professor here!"

He turned quickly, deciding he didn't need to see a satisfactory reaction - as a second later, he heard Byleth's voice, "El? You're red again!"

**Felix → Lysithea and Manuela**

Felix's frustrations continued soaring through the cathedral’s multimeter high roof as he continued his march. At this point, what was something of a mindless tirade led him to another potential resource.

"Professor Manuela," Felix's voice croaked, a mixture of physical exhaustion from stomping across the campus and mental frustration leaking into his speech. A few meters in front of him, Manuela turned around to answer her name.

"Ah, Felix. Dear, you look quite exhausted," she begins stepping towards him, also revealing the other student who was travelling with her. "Would you like to join Lysithea and I to my office?"

"No," he snapped. "Where's Linhardt?"

"Linhardt? Hmm…" She thought for only a few seconds, though Felix began to tap his foot impatiently. "I suppose he may be doing some research for Hanneman in the library."

Without another word, Felix recomposed his exhausted demeanor, as if the information had given him back a bit of energy to continue his pursuit. Though, before he could—

"Found ya!" —Sylvain's voice rang out from behind, grating on the motivation Felix had restored only moments ago. "Ah, Lysithea too. Perfect."

The small girl known as Lysithea widened her eyes in surprise at Sylvain's words. Suspiciously, she furrowed her brows together and pointed to herself. "What do you want…?"

Before Sylvain could even begin to respond, Felix had already pointed an aggressive finger at Sylvain.

"Stay the fuck away from me," the hot-headed Felix demanded.

"Hold on just a sec—" He quickly turned his focus to Lysithea. "Edelgard called for you, something about a freaky vulnerary?" 

Now in with a hint of concern, yet still sternly, Felix interjected, "A _what_?"

"Huh?" Lysithea crossed her arms, tone a bit defensive. "I gave that rotten smelling thing to Linhardt."

"Oh my, oh my…" Manuela chuckled rather nervously amongst the banter. "Perhaps this is the tonic I was anonymously asked to send to Byleth…"

Sylvain bursted out in a brief wheeze at Manuela's statement, though stopped himself upon seeing Felix commence his escape.

“Ah. Another lover’s quarrel.” Lysithea sighed, rolling her eyes. Manuela continued her giggles.

“Haha, it’s not like that,” Sylvain choked on his words a bit. "Apologies for my haste, but I've got to catch up to the loose canon now!" 

“Whatever. It’s not like everyone isn’t already aware,” Lysithea yet again proclaimed outright.

Though the comment had _fortunately_ fallen on deaf ears, with that, Sylvain darted after Felix's trail in a heated pursuit.

**Sylvain and Felix → Caspar and Linhardt**

The two raced, managing to match their distance between each other the whole way to the library. Passing by an armored statue, Felix swiftly spun around, grasping the mock sword in the statues hands, and pointed it towards Sylvain.

"I said stay away from me!" Felix roared.

Sylvain raised his hands before him, revealing his obvious unarmed self. "Look, I just said I wanted to talk. I think I see what's going on here—" Sylvains words were promptly cut off as Felix backed in through the library doors. As he stepped his body completely into the room, his back was suddenly met with a stack of books. His movements caused the books to topple to the ground ungracefully, followed by the shout from the person who seemed to have been carrying them.

"Gaah, damn it, Felix!" It was the always battle-ready Caspar, now taking on an offensive stance to Felix, who was still pointing the sword through the doors. "If you're looking for a fight then let's take it to the training grounds!! Let's go right now!"

"Caspar…" An exasperated voice, accompanied by a characteristic yawn, came from behind the crowd of three. Linhardt revealed himself, having clearly employed Caspar as his book-carrying lacky. "Ah… Felix. Sylvain. I'd appreciate it if you didn't get in the way of my research."

"You!" Felix span around, now targeting Linhardt with the sword - though the latter stood his ground without flinching to the threat.

"If you have business with me, could you please make it brief? My progress is already slowed now that Caspar has to pick up these scattered texts…" his lulled voice queued Caspar to begin picking up the fallen books, stacking them back up to an unreasonable height in his arms.

Sylvain made sure not to approach Felix any more, though continued watching the scene from the other side of the door.

"That tonic that Lysithea gave you. What was it?" Felix demanded, forcing the tip of the sword towards him threateningly. 

"Hmm… oh. That tonic? I assume it was something of an aphrodisiac."

The words, though in Linhardt's typically nonchalant demeanor, seemed to strike the sword right out of Felix's hand, making a clang as it hit the floor.

Even Sylvain himself let the painful sound of it resonate in his ears after Linhardt's words. With the two completely silent, Linhardt took the moment to speak up again.

"Would you say the same, Caspar? I’d say our test proved it rather well, it was a rather enjoyable night."

Caspar grinned an innocently proud, toothy grin in response. “Yup!”

"Oh boy." Sylvain muttered to himself, even becoming a bit flustered as he ruffled his ginger hair with his hand.

"H-have you no shame…?!" Felix stuttered, hand still outstretched despite the sword laying sadly on the library floor.

"What shame is there to have in enjoying a heightened sexual experience with someone?" Linhardt asserted with complete confidence and nonchalance.

At this point, the redness in Felix's face was glowing, and he made a sloppy pivot of his feet to make his way back out of the library.

Sylvain this time let him pass him, being in a daze himself as he put the pieces together regretfully in his mind. A moment later, he followed after Felix once again.

  
  


**Sylvain & Felix**

After a significantly slower chase than before, Sylvain finally spotted Felix, stopped in what used to be the audience chambers. Here he stood with his back to the entrance of the open hall-like room. His shoulders slumped down in what could only be described as dejection, but his fists were clenched at his sides in indignation. 

With the two of them alone once again, the atmosphere turned heavy.

"Felix…" Sylvain spoke tenderly, looking down as his steps echoed closer and closer to Felix in the room. "I'm... sorry."

Felix stood frozen, unresponsive as he listened to the other approach from behind.

"Felix?" Sylvain repeated, feeling self- admittedly awkward.

"What do you have to apologize for?" Felix suddenly snapped back, lifting his hanging head, back still turned.

"I— ahaha. I guess I don't exactly know. But, I think I've hurt you... So I want to make it better."

Felix seemed to mumble something under his breath this time, to which Sylvain asked, "What?"

"I said you're an idiot! And save that fake talk for some girl!"

The words echoed strongly between them, not only throughout the room, but Sylvain could also feel them deep in his core as he tried to stop his pained expression from surfacing. Felix had now turned his body to face Sylvain. Glistening like sparkles as the rays of sunlight leaked through the stained glass decorating the ceiling, a few small dots of tears dispersed from Felix's dampened cheeks. His face was still red, though now painted with an emotion of disgruntlement. 

The sight, although leaving Sylvain speechless in an almost stupor, made his chest tighten. He hadn’t seen such a face on the man since they were children. The mere feeling confirmed to him the pain that Felix must have been feeling the whole time, though he could only imagine it was ten times worse for him. Sylvain’s heart sank thinking about how he had really hurt Felix this time, though he couldn’t even recall why.

"Felix…" Sylvain couldn't muster any other words at the moment but say the other’s name yet again, which was suddenly like sweet wine on his tongue. Somehow, he wanted to keep saying it.

“Tch… I don’t mean that.” Felix’s voice was low and remorseful.

Sylvain had reached his hand out before his mind even acknowledged the movement, reaching for Felix's shoulder. Though, Felix pulled away, hugging his own arms in defense.

"Don't…" Felix's voice became hoarse, as his tone faltered, seeming as if another set of tears would fall at any moment.

"Please tell me… did I hurt you?" Sylvain's tone was soft, almost like beautiful music to the ears. He lowered his raised hand back to his side, glancing down at it the whole way as if it was soiled. Soiled with whatever it had done to his dear friend.

"Like I was saying, you have nothing to apologize for. You didn't do anything. It was that godforsaken tonic—no, _poison_ —I drank." His voice was almost pained as he continued in a dispirited mumble. "This isn't how I wanted this to happen."

"..." Sylvain stood in a knowing silence, not wanting to confirm nor deny Felix’s words. Although the idea had been in the back of his mind for a while, the more the truth of Felix's feelings had begun to surface, the more reluctant Sylvain became to acknowledge it. After all, the only thing keeping himself from accepting his own increasing feelings for Felix, was if Felix exposed his own.

 _You’re right, Felix._ Sylvain brooded over internally. _I am an idiot. Because goddess forbid that I’m actually able to reciprocate someone’s feelings!_

"You’ve known, haven’t you?" Felix questions flatly. Though, he knew the answer.

"Haha… how couldn't I?" Sylvain laughed weakly, his eyes completely emotionless. "I've seen plenty of girls fall for me, but..."

"I'm _not_ a girl," Felix quickly interjected.

"I know. But you're my best friend— no. You're someone I care about… more than I ever thought I could care about someone." Sylvain reached out his hand yet again, this time to Felix's slightly dampened face, though the few tears have stopped flowing by now.

Felix yet again recoiled from Sylvain's steady reach. "No. I… I won't be able to hold back." His tone still holds his typical venom of anger, though in this moment, reluctantly so. He had even shocked himself at the level of honesty he was expressing.

"Then don't." Sylvain smiled, his eyes soft as ever as they stared into Felix's.

Felix let the other place his hand on his cheek, ever so tenderly. Felix slowly put his own hand over Sylvain's, their touch quickly warming each others skin where they met. Felix truly felt unable to hold back at this point, when he suddenly pushed his forehead into Sylvain's chest, closing the distance between them completely.

He could even hear Sylvain's heart was racing as much as his own, as Sylvain wrapped his arms around and pulled the smaller man tightly to his chest. Felix's warm breath through his shirt was comforting, a kind of comfort Sylvain never even thought he could truly experience until that very moment.

Sylvain wasn't sure if it was the warmth of Felix's breath on his chest, or seeing him so vulnerable that was making his heart absolutely melt. But either way, he had never felt more at home.

As if their minds were physically connected by their touch, the two suddenly felt a mutual understanding spread through them. They stood there in silence for what could have easily been a few minutes, before Sylvain was the first to jolt and release Felix. Outstretching his arms with his hands on the other’s shoulders, Sylvain locked his eyes on Felix’s. 

Felix almost wanted to protest the sudden change of position, but seeing the rosy flush embellishing Sylvain’s cheeks and that unexpectedly abashed face, all of his words immediately faded from his mind.

"I think it goes without saying that I've never been with, or even considered guys before you. But… you're different, Felix. I'm sorry it took this long to figure it out." If the actual hug wasn't enough, Sylvain’s silken words were like a warm embrace in and of themselves. The typically hardened and stalwart Felix felt unusually weak, yet at the same time, the safest he's ever felt.

"You're an idiot…" persisted Felix.

"Haha, is that all you can say? I mean, can’t say you’re wrong." Sylvain finally released his locked elbows, letting Felix fall a bit closer than his arm’s length away. 

“You’re the one with all these sickly-sweet, overused lines…” Felix objected, unable to hold back a slight facetious grin.

Sylvain chuckled, then continued, "Look, I'm not going to be good at this. But, I… I think I want this.” His eyes now seemed as if they were begging, though he maintained a gentle yet resolute smile. “Let's make this right and take it slow. Without the help of any fancy ‘poisons’. ...Unless you want to of course.”

Felix turned his head away bashfully at the tease.

“Is… that a yes?” Sylvain brought his face closer to Felix, who then turned his head back, causing the tips of their noses to brush.

“Obviously, dumbass…”

Sylvain promptly pulled Felix into his chest once again, this time his hands falling to Felix’s slender, yet sturdy waist. Felix accepted it, steadily and timidly sliding his own hands around Sylvain’s shoulders and neck. With his face hidden again, he finally let a soft smile form on his face.

“And maybe let’s _not_ forget all about it this time?” Sylvain rubbed his still mildly aching head again with one hand, slightly pulling them apart again.

A small drop of sweat accumulated at Felix’s chin at that moment.

“I didn’t mean to knock you out. Might’ve gone a bit overboard.”

Sylvain blinked, a slight twinge in his smile. It was almost in disbelief, though, he completely believed it. “Wait… so you do remember last night!?”

This time, Felix pushed away with half-assed gentleness.

“Yeah,” He muttered, a touch of stubborn yet genuine regret woven into his prickly attitude.

He was mentally preparing himself for some level of backlash or disappointment, when Sylvain responded with a worried tone, “So… tell me, did I really not hurt you?”

"You didn’t…" He trails off.

"Really?"

 _In fact, it was great…_ Felix’s face turned crimson once again, the words not even close to coming from his mouth. Fortunately for Felix, Sylvain seemed too focused to understand the source behind his embarrassment.

“Really. If anything, I’m the one that hurt you.”

Sylvain finally relaxed his shoulders, letting out a short sigh. “Well, I’ll forgive you. I don’t mind not remembering… as long as you can make up the same experience to me ten-fold!”

Felix quickly raised his hand threateningly by reflex, but immediately put it back down, the frustration and embarrassment still sitting with his expression. Meanwhile, despite Sylvain’s flinch, he laughed out lightheartedly.

“I’m kidding,” began Sylvain again. “We’ll take it at whatever pace we need. Heavens know we need it.”

To this, Felix nodded, his heart still pounding.

After just a beat of silence, another voice pierced the atmosphere, sending a shockwave of surprise through the two.

“Are you two done?” Linhardt groaned, casually strolling into the room. “I was just wondering if you had any of that tonic left. I’d love to take a closer examination of it.”

“NO,” Felix barked, redness still enveloping his face.

“Not to worry, I don’t care about what you were talking about. Though, as I said, if something or someone makes you happy, there’s no point in being silent about it,” he added, as nonchalantly as before.

“Get out!” Felix hissed, to which Linhardt waved silently, yawning heavily as he made his exit.

Sylvain showed a bit of embarrassment on his face still, but bursted out into another brief fit of laughter. Growing impatient, Felix grabbed Sylvain’s face with one hand, squeezing his cheeks together.

“What’s so funny…” Felix grumbled, only slightly loosening his grip to let the other respond.

“It’s just that very attitude that’s going to make me not want to take it slow.”

Felix reflexively squeezes Sylvain’s lips into a pucker once again. But, before responding, he swiftly leaned his own face in close. “I swear, you’re more of a poison than anything…”

“Yeah?” Sylvain teased, voice distorting with Felix’s grip.

They leaned into each other, both hesitating as the space between then shrunk centimeter by centimeter. Finally, their lips meet－first a bit forcefully, then melting into a gentle, tender peck.

“Yeah,” Felix responded softly after they finally separated.

Though his next thoughts yet again were unable to leave his lips, he thought to himself, _But I’ll take that over the other kind any day._

END

**Author's Note:**

> lol when I have a doujin idea that ends up being too long for the time I have to draw but I have a phone on which I can write.
> 
> (Also should go without saying, but I do not condone non-consensual use of aphrodisiacs :p)
> 
> Thanks [AlternateCode](http://archiveofourown.org/users/AlternateCode/) my darlin clementine as usual for beta! <3


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